Shift left testing is a software development practice that aims to reduce the cost, time and risk associated with the testing process by performing testing activities as early as possible in the software development lifecycle. It is a proactive approach that integrates testing into the development process, rather than treating it as a separate and distinct phase. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of shift left testing and its benefits, how to implement it, and best practices to ensure its success.
What is Shift Left Testing?
Shift left testing is a term used to describe the practice of shifting the testing process to the left in the software development lifecycle. Instead of waiting until the end of the development process to begin testing, shift left testing starts testing as soon as the first line of code is written. This means that testing activities are performed throughout the development process, from the planning and design phase, to the coding and deployment phase.
The goal of shift left testing is to detect and resolve defects early in the development process, before they become more complex and expensive to fix. By performing testing early, the development team can identify and address issues sooner, leading to higher quality software that is delivered faster and at lower cost.
How to Implement Shift Left Testing
Implementing shift left testing requires a change in mindset and a shift in the traditional approach to testing. Here are the steps to implementing shift left testing:
- Assess your current development process: Before making any changes, it is important to understand your current development process. This includes understanding the roles and responsibilities of the development team, the tools and technologies being used, and the testing process.
- Identify opportunities for testing: Once you have a clear understanding of your development process, you can identify opportunities for testing. This includes identifying the areas of the software where defects are most likely to occur, and the best time to perform testing in each area.
- Incorporate testing into the development process: The next step is to incorporate testing into the development process. This includes automating testing wherever possible, integrating testing into the development tools and processes, and ensuring that testing is performed early and often.
- Provide training and support: Shift left testing requires a change in mindset, so it is important to provide training and support to the development team. This includes training on the new testing process, the tools and technologies being used, and best practices for
Benefits of Shift Left Testing
There are many benefits to incorporating shift left testing into your software development process. Some of the key benefits include:
- Faster time to market: By starting testing early in the development process, shift left testing helps to speed up the delivery of high-quality software. Defects are detected and resolved earlier, reducing the need for rework and ensuring that the software is delivered to market faster.
- Improved quality: Shift left testing helps to catch defects early in the development process, before they become more complex and harder to fix. This leads to higher quality software that meets the needs of users and stakeholders.
- Lower costs: Shift left testing can reduce the cost of software development by reducing the need for rework and decreasing the amount of time required for testing. This results in lower overall development costs and faster time to market.
- Increased collaboration: Shift left testing involves the entire development team, from developers and testers to business stakeholders and project managers. This increased collaboration leads to better communication and a shared understanding of the software requirements, which results in higher quality software.
- Better customer satisfaction: Shift left testing helps to deliver software that meets the needs of users and stakeholders. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and increased user adoption.
Summing up
In principle, any company can adopt shift left testing. You might begin by implementing code standards or employing a static analysis technique.
However, the advantages of shift left testing are obvious. We can assure improved code quality by finding and lowering the number of problems early in the software development life span. Aside from that, implementing testing in the early phases of software development will help your development team save both time and money.
